2009 Toyota Corolla XLE 4-Spd AT

Pros

Fuel efficiency, hands free blue tooth, large trunk, moon roof

Cons

Small cabin, limited dash display,

Purchased As New

I traded in my Sienna Van for my 2009 Corolla mainly because of the rising gas prices. Believe it or not-the salesman talked us out of buying a marked up Prius and explained that this car is almost as fuel efficient and a third of the price. I miss my Van, but that is not the Corolla's fault. It does look a lot like a Camry-we mistake it for other Camrys in parking lots all the time.
I really like the hands free bluetooth speakerphone in the car. The phone and radio can be controlled at the steering wheel. However, the dash display is very frustrating for me. To see the temperature or any other information you have to reach through the steering wheel and push a button to scroll through to the info that you want, for example outside temperature.
The drive of the car is one of a small car. You definitely feel the road. My dad just bought a Touring Edition Prius which was almost $20,000 more than my Corolla, but it drives like a luxury car. Very smooth! My van was like driving a couch-so the Corolla takes some getting used to.
I have a car seat and a booster seat in the back seat for my kids and there is no room for anyone else. Those two seats take up all 3 spaces in the back. With the car seat in place, my husband has to have his seat pretty close to the dashboard so he doesn't squish my daughter's feet. Lucky for my son, I am short, so he has plenty of leg room.
The fuel efficiency is great. We definitely get our mileage for our buck. So we achieved what we wanted-but it is a hard transition from a van to a Corolla. You will be pleasantly surprised by the large trunk room. It is pretty spacious-you'll be surprised.
I opted to not get the in-dash navigation system and I am glad. I am much happier with my Garmin after-market system than the system that my dad's Prius came with from the factory. I wouldn't spend the extra money. Go to Best Buy or Target after you buy your car; you'll save a lot of money! The only thing I wish I had gotten was leather seats. They are much easier to maintain than the cloth....read morehide

Pros

Excellent Fuel economy and great resale value

Cons

Don't have any!

Purchased As New

My parents bought there first Corolla in 1992 gave it to me for a college car. The car has had 225,000 miles on it and still runs like new. We never had any problems with it. The only maintance we had to do was change the oil every 5,000 miles and it ran great. We decided to trade it in for a new 09' Corolla. The Toyota corolla is an excellent choice for a small car to get around town in. I would recomend this car to any one looking for a car with great fuel economy and Toyota's name for great reliability....read morehide

Pros

good gas mileage

Cons

this is not an economically good car for driving long distances

Purchased As New

this vehicle has no control of wandering in traffic at speeds 40-50 and 65-80. it constantly pulls to the left, had it serviced several times and was told to go to another dealership. they told me it is the crown in the road and i would have to get use to it. they added a cam to the left side and had to adjust it twice after that. well i would not recommend this car at all. i drove a chevette in the 80's and didnt have this problem but toyota will make you feel it is just you. BEWARE pulling to the left is oncoming traffic..... so how much does toyota care about your safety. shame on them...read morehide

Pros

Nice body style, brand reputation

Cons

Pricey, noisy and average assemble

I just bought my Corolla XLE last week with 18 miles on it. I love this updated body style on the Corollas. The Corolla doesn't break any new ground, but the styling is elegant for the compact segment.
Making its first impression is the electric power steering; while such system produce vague steering feel, it is pretty comfortable and easy to drive at lower speed. On the highway it gets tossed around easily and watches those corners because handling is hazy. I...read morehide